Gas-engine



(No Model.) Y Y 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

S.' L. WI'EGAND.

Y GAS ENGINE.

NO. 297,329. Patented Apr. 22, 1884;.`

.lNvENToR WITNESSES @499mg Cif/m1 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

s.' L. WIEGAND.

.GAS ENGINE.

No. 297,329. Patented Apr. Z2, 1884.

I' .f3 o V y l A :Z Fay/ll WITNSSES. INVENTOR N. PETERS. PmlaLimagnpher, washington. llc

(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' S. L. WIBG'AND.

A GAS ENGINE. No. 297,329. Patented Apr. 2,2, 1884.

WITN ESSES: INVENTOR N. PEIERS. PhotwLilhagnphun wnshingmn. nc.

Darren States Arenr trice..

S. LLOYD VIEGAND, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,329, dated April 22, 1884.4

Application filed September 1S, 1888. (No mgdel'.)

To all whom it muy concern,.-

Be it known that I, S. LLOYD VIEGAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia. in the county of` Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainl new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a sufficiently full, clear, and exact description thereof as to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the said invention.

This invention relates to that class of gasengines wherein air under compression, tgethcr with a charge of explosive gas or combustible vapor mingled with air, so as to form an explosive mixture, isignited and exploded or burned in a cylinder, so as to propel the piston therein contained, and has for its object the simplification of such engines in construction and corresponding reduction in cost of manufacture thereof, and at the saine time an economy in gas or other combustible consumed and greater facility of running at high speeds without involving frequent cleansing of the working-surlaces of the cylinder and piston.

To this end the nature of this invention consists in the combination, with the explodingcylinder of such engines, of a trunk or long piston having channels through which air is forced into the explodirig-cylinder, and working` through a packing located considerably below the portion ofthe cylinder wherein the gas is exploded and the power developed, such cylinder and trunk or piston being in a verticalv position, and a larger piston formed in the lowerend thereof acting as a guide for the lower end of the trunk, and also with suitable valves, and the cylinder in which it reciprocates operates as an air-pump for purging the workiiig-cylinder from the charge from the preceding pressure-stroke, which function is effected by the peculiar adjustment ot' valves, more fully hereinafter set forth; and in combination with the above an igniting apparatus, whereby leakage and expense of closely-fitted working parts heretofore found necessary are avoided; also, in measuring definitely the proportions of gas and air introduced into the cylinder each compressing-charge by means of' pumps, the time of closing of' certain valves of' each being automatically varied and controlled by a speed-regulator, so as to introduce explosive charges sufficient to compensate for A .working-stroke, a further economy is realized by protecting'the portion ot' the cylinder in which the explosion or combustion is performed from radiation, whereby the sensible heat developed in the compression of the` charge contributes to the elastic force of the charge, instead of being absorbed by contact with a cooling or radiating cylinder, as has been heretofore practiced.

I will now proceed to fully describe the construction and operation ofl this invention, referring in so doing -to the drawings annexed and letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l is a sectional elevation of the machine; Fig, 2, aside elevation; Fig. 3, aground. plan; and the remaining figures show parts of the apparatus in detail and modifications thereof.

A represents the working or pressure cylinder of' the engine, having its axis verliet-1l, with a jacket, A. of 'non-conducting material, on its upper part.

B represents a larger cylinder attached to the lower part of the cylinder A, and in the same vertical axial line.

C is a trunk or long piston working through a packing7 D, considerably below the lowest point of the stroke or of the top of the piston C.

E is a second piston attached to the lower portion of the piston C, and fitting in the cylinder B.

Air is admitted through valves F into the annular space G in the cylinder B. around the piston C, above the piston E. and below the packing D, and is discharged from said annular space through channels H and valves or valve J opening'upward through the piston C into the cylinder A above the piston C.

To the piston C is attached a connecting- IOO rod, K, communicating motion on the downward stroke to the crank L. The 'stroke of the crank L is such that when the pistons C and E are at their lowest point in the stroke the heated portion of the piston C does not reach the packing D, and when the piston C is at its highest point of its stroke there shall be a space between it and the upper end of the cylinder A. The upper end ot' the cylindcr A is preferably ina-de in the shape o't" a truncated cone. Upon it is placed a valvechamber` AZ, containing the exhaust-valve M, operated by a cam or eccentric, N, on the shaft O through a rod, P, and rock-shaft P. The adjustment ot' the eccentric N. relatively to the crank L on the shaft is such that the .exhaust'valve/M is closed during the entire downward stroke of the piston, is opened during the tirst part of the upward stroke, and is closed during the latter part ofthe upward stroke. so that the air forced by the piston C through the channels H into the cylinder A blows through the exhaust-valve M during the iirst portion of the stroke and pnrges the cylinder ot' whatever air or gaseous products 'may have been in it previously, and during the latter part ot' the upward stroke the further supply of air is compressed in the upper part ot' the cylinder A.

Fig. -it shows the cani operating the valve of the engine, consisting ot' two parts or cams N andNi, respectively shown separately in side view in Figs. E a 1d 6. The partot' the cam marked N is keyed to the shaft, and always maintains the saine angular position in rela tion to the crank, while the part Nzissusceptible ot' turning upon the shaft, and is controlled in its position a speed-regulator connected to the projecting arms shown in Fig. 6. The form ot' the cam N is such rthat the exhaustvalve M is closed and theigniting-valve open during the whole ofthe descending stroke, and the form ot' the cam Nl is such that the igniting-valvevT and exhaust-valve M are open during the iii-st part of each ascending stroke, and both valves. V and M, are closed during the latter part of the ascending stroke, for a proportion of the stroke' depending on the adjustment ot' the cam N2 as controlledbythe regulator. The time of closing ot' the valve M is varied by a centrifugal regulator connected with the eccentric or cam N.

Gas or combustible mixtures of air and vapor are admitted into the cylinder A by a tube, Q.. from a gasometer, gas-pump, or other supply. y mechanism hereinafter described, whenever the valve M is open to the atmosphere, communication from the pipe Q to the cylinder A is closed, and communication from the pipe Q opens after the valve M has closed, during the latter part ofthe upward stroke of the piston C, and is again closed during the whole ot' the descending stroke of the piston C. The supply of combustible gas or vapor is preferablyintroduced by a pump, XV, the, piston \V ot' which moves in the same time, or nearly so, with the stroke of the piston C,

and the inlet-valve NW of which opens and closes at the same time as the exhaust-valve M, so that no gas or infiammable vapor is forced into the cylinder A by the pump V during the emptying of the products of the plevious explosion from the cylinder A; but the pump XV returns the gas to the supply-pipe until the inlet-valve VW closes, which it does at the same time that the valve M closes the cylinder A. The eifect of this is to force gas into the cylinder A only during the time when the air in the cylinder A is undergoing compression, and the velocity ofthe piston compressing the air and the piston compressing the gas being relatively the same at all tiines,.the proportions ot' gas and air are maintained, although the quantity of air and gas compressed at each stroke is varied to meet the changing requirements for power to maintain uniform velocity under varying conditions of work or load, the opening and closing of the valve- R being varied in the same manner and by the same means as thevvariable motion of the valve M is effected.

Figs. 7 and 11 show sections upon an en-l larged scale ofthe igniting device,`which consists of a small chamber (marked T) susceptible of being placed in fluid communication or shut off from the cylinder A by a valve, V. lu this chamber T is a metallic bulb or tube, S, which is healed by a jet of burning gas forced in by a jet of air previously heated by passing through a circnitous pipe located in the chimney, through which the waste producsofthe igniting-fiame are discharged,tl1us securing by the heated air and gasjet such a temperature of the tube S as to ignite any explosive mixture entering the chamber T from the cylinder A when the 'valve Vis opened. The air for the jet Hows from the pump B through the igniting-chamber, as indicated by arrows shown in Fig. 11. The valve V is made hollow through its stem or guide. with aseries ot' openings madeacross both the lower and upper part of its stem. The effect ot' these openings is to induce a current of air downward through the center of the valve when the valve is open and airis forcing out through the exhaust-valve M during the purging operation,A in the same manner that similarlyshaped chimney caps induce an outward current from chimneys by air blown across them. Air at the same time entering between the wings ofthe valve-guide, the products of combustion ot' the previous explosion are ei'fectually removed.

Fig. 8 shows an igniter having a central insulated platinum wire, through which a current of electricity maybe discharged to auother conducting-point connected with the opposite electrode or other source of electric current, as has been practiced in the well-known French Lenoir engine.77

Fig. 9 shows a small torcing-pump adapted to drive a jet of gas forcibly through an ig nitingtlanie, through a funnel, A2, into the cylinder A.

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IIO

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Fig. l0 is a section of an igniting-slide of -the usual construction, for transferring small 'portions of gas in combustion in the cylinder A from an external iiame. I

Neither of the devices shown in FigsA S, 9, and l() is claimed as part of this invention, but may be substituted for the device shown in Figs. 7 and ll in conjunction with other features of this invention.

The valves M and U and 'W2 or WW, as the case may be, performsome of their motions at xed times relatively to the strokes ofthe piston, and others at variable times, as controlled by the regulator under-the induence of the slight changes of velocity due to variations in resistance or work on the engine. The cam N is double, or constructed in parts N and N2, so as to effect these results, and resembles the cam shown in Letters Patent of the United States, numbered 45,199, and dated November 19, 1864, for improvement in steamengines, one of said cams, N', working always with a fixed angular adjustment to the crank L, and the other, N2, being varied in angular adjustment by the action of a regulator to which it is connected.

The operation of this machine is to produce force by duid-pressure in the cylinder A in a mixture of air and gas exploded therein, and to drive the piston downward, and thus rotate the shaft, by means of the crank Land connecting-rod K, the return or upward stroke being effected by the momentum of a fly-wheel, V, turning the shaft O, and during the early part ofthe returning or rising stroke of the piston C the ai r fromthe chamberG flows through the valve M, expelling the gases or products of combustion remaining in the cylinder A from the preceding stroke, and during the latter portion of the upward stroke a charge of gas is introduced and compressed, together with the air confined in the cylinder A, and this charge, with the air compressed from the space G into the said cylinder A, is ready for explosion or ignition in the next descending stroke. rlhe volume ofair and gas compressed in the space in the cylinder A is varied and controlled by the change of the eccentrics N and N on the shaft O in its angular relation to the crank, which change is effected by connecting the said eccentric N with a speedregulator, X, rotating with the ily-wheel V and shaft O, so that the amount of force developed in each succeeding descending stroke is graduated to compensate for any deviations from the normal speed ofthe engine during the precedingrevolution. Bylocatingthepistonpacking below the heated part of the cylinder, difficulties arising from expansion of the parts experienced in other gas-enginesin maintaining a tight-fitting piston and cylinder are avoided,'and, by permitting the cylinder to be :ome heated, more prompt ignition of the charge in the cylinder A is effected, and the u engine is enabled to run at higher speed. and

consequently to develop the same amount of power demands a smaller engine than has heren tofore been practicable; and, fur lier, by not cooling the cylinder A the elastic force of the gas is maintained with a less expenditure of combustible material, and by regulating the amount of ai'r inclosed and compressed in each upward stroke ofthe air pump and cylinder, and also at the same time regulating the volu me of gas in closed in the gas-pu mp at each stroke, a proper and exact relation of the volumes of gas and air admitted to the cylinder, and the best and most effective mixture of air and gas are procured in the cylinder A.

Having described this invention and the mode of operating the same, what is claimed therein is l. In an explosive-gas engine, a vertical explodingcylinder provided with a heat nonconductingA jacket at the upper part and a packing fitting a piston or plunger at the lower portion, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. ln acompression exploding-gas engine, the combination ofan exploding-cylinder with an air-pump of greater displacement than the exploding-cylinder discharging air directly into said cylinder, anda co mpression gas-pump delivering gas directly into said cylinder, and arranged during the same stroke to iirst purge the exploding-cylinder and afterward compress therein a charge of air and infiammable gas or vapor, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Ina compression explosive-gas engine, in combination with a vertically-reciprocating piston or plunger working in a heated compression exploding cylinder or chamber, a

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packing located below the heated portion of said cylinder. fitting between the explodingcylinder and air-pump and around the piston or plunger, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a compression explosive-gas engine,

'the combination of an exploding-cylinder provided with an exhaust-valve operated by a cam controlled by a speed-regulator, so as to automatically varv the time ot' closing said valve in the compressing or return stroke, with a pump arranged to force gas or mixtures of air and inflammable vapor into the said exploding-cylinder, and having a valve arranged to admit gas or air and inliammable vapor to the said pump during the outward stroke thereof, and to be held open by a cam controlled by a speed-regulator to varying points during the returning stroke, and thereby permit varying portions of the charge yto return through the said admission-valve to the supply-pipe, and automatically regulate the speed of the engine by changing the Volume of inflammable charge introduced into the exploding-cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set set forth.

f 5. In an explosive compression gas-engine, the combination of an ignitiiig-chamber containing a body heated by an external dame, with a valve opening and closing communication between said chamber andthe explod- IIO ing-cylinder, said valvebeing operated bya cam varied and controlled in position by a speedregulator, so as to change the time of' closing communication between the igniting-chamber Y and the exploding-chamber, substantially asY and for the purpose set forth.

G. In a compression explosive-gas engine, the combination of' a gas-pump, arranged to deliver gas into the explodiiig-cylinder, with a valve admitting gas into said pump, operated by a cam to close at varying positions of the pump, said cam being adjusted automatically, and controlled by a connected speed-regulator, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In an explosive compression gas-engine, the combination of a vertical air-pum p piston, E, with a vertically-moving propelling` trunk or piston, C. having a less displacement than the piston E, and reciprocating' in an exploding-cylinder, A. of' less capacity than the said air-pump cylinder B, and having ducts H, for

admitting air into the exploding-cylinder A gas or inflammable mixtures otl air and vapor to the said pump throughout the outward stroke, and controlled by a cam operated by a connected speed-regulator, so as to close said valve at varying points in the returning stroke of the pump, for the purpose of varying the quantity of gas or equivalent -infiammable charge introduced into the explodingcylinder at each stroke by permitting variable portions thereof to return through-the inletvalve to the supply-pipe or reservoir, substantiall y as set forth.

10. In a compression gas-engine, the combination of' a speed-regulator with a cam arranged and connected with the exhaust-valve of the explodingcylinder, so as to control and regulate the volume of' air shut up and compressed in theexploding-cylinder proportionately to any variations in the velocity of' the engine, f'or the purpose of` compensating and correcting such variations, substantially as shown and described.

11. The combination, in an explosive compression gas-cngine, of' a speed-regulator with the cam connected with and arranged to operate the exhaust-valve ofthe pressure-cylinder and the inlet-valve ot' the gas-pump, so as to open and close said valves at varying-points in the pistonstroke ofthe engine, and thereby varying the volumes of' air and infiammable gas or vapor to the pressure-cylinder for the purpose of compensating for variations in speed and maintaining uniform velocity of the engine. p

12. In a compression explosive gas-engine, the combination of' an air-pump forming a guide for the piston of' the pressure-cylinder, and directly forcing air through the pressurecylinder, for first purging the same of the products of the preceding combustion, and afterward for compressing charges' of air in definitely-measured proportions to charges of gas forced into said cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. In a compression explosive gas-engine, the combination of an igniting-chamber with a valve communicating with and shutting oft` communication with the exploding-chamber, and'adapted, when open, to direct a current ot' air through lthe igniting-chamber. substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. In a compression explosive gas-engine, the combination of' an igniting-chamber containing an incandescent body with an exploding' or pressure cylinder, and having a valve controlling communication between them connected with an operating mechanism, to close the igniting-chamlier from the pressure-cylinder at low pressure in both vessels, and to open and admit a port-ion of the explosive charge from the cylinder to the igniting-chamber when under higher pressure, for the purpose of' igniting the same.

15. In a compression explosive gas-engine, an igniting-chamber containing an incandescent body heated by a dame-jet applied internally to said incandescent body, substantially as set forth.

16. In a compression explosive gas-engine, an ignitingchamber containing an incandescent body heated by ajet of' flame external to t-he said chamber, supplied with air heated by the escaping products of combustion of' said flame, substantially as set forth,

17. In a compression exploding gas-engine, the combination ot' an air-pump forming a guide for the power-receiving piston, and arranged to directly purge the exploding-cylinder, and during the same stroke compress air therein, a gas measuring and compressing pump, a speed-regulator connected with and operating the inlet-valve of the gas-pump and the exhaust-valve of' the pressure-cylinder, andan igniting-cl'iamber connected by a valve with the exploding-cylinder, and operated by a cam rotated with a fly-wheel and shaft, receiving motion through a crank and pitm'fm, operated by the piston or trunk propelled by the explosion ot' air and combustible gas in the exploding-cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

s. LLOYD Wine AND.

Vitnesses:

VAN Wren BUDD, Linn WHEELER. 

